大D事務所

每年冬天跟夏天很多城市都會舉辦所謂的 "Restaurant Week” (簡稱 RW, 餐廳週), Ann Arbor 跟紐約也不利外.

紐約有許多平常很昂貴的餐廳在餐廳週時都推出午餐 $24.07, 晚餐 $35 的 3-Course Meal. 今年二月時跑去 One if by Land, Two if by Sea 吃他們的晚餐, 覺得超好吃的, 所以今年在夏天 RW 開始前就趕快定位. 因為大部分的餐廳只有週一到週五的午餐和晚餐, 而我又只有週末在紐約, 所以很難 「橋」 到好的時間, 結果後來訂到了兩家: Club A Steakhouse 跟 Nougatine.

不過除了這兩家之外, 另外還因為有拿到一些 coupon / discounts 而跑去吃的餐廳 (「coupons 真是令人討厭的小東西阿～」- 大D).

以下就是一些今年夏天在紐約吃得一些餐廳 (精選, 還有其他很不錯的餐廳, 不過懶得寫評論). 基本上我只是把在 Yelp 上面寫得評論轉貼過來而已 (my Yelp) :P 不過大部分的評論都因為忘記菜名或是根本不知道菜名是什麼而沒有寫出來. 順序是照時間排列的, 從舊到新.

想看照片的同學們可以點 [my Album] 至我的相簿去看…

One if by Land, Two if by Sea (from 2010 Winter RW) [Yelp] ＊＊＊＊＊

1st Floor Dining Room @ One If By Land

The food was definitely one of the most delicious we’ve had. The ambiance was quiet, romantic, and classy.

We went there during the 2010 NYC Winter restaurant week for $35/3 course meal. Even though it’s restaurant week special, the size and quality were still top-notch, and it was definitely a good place for a date.

Club A Steak House [Yelp] ＊＊＊＊

Live Pianist Performing @ Club A Steakhouse

We went to Club A Steakhouse for 2010 NYC Summer Restaurant Week. We were craving for some steaks and this seemed like the best bang for the bucks based on their RW menu.

The appetizers were really nice, we liked the beef tartare. I ordered 10oz filet mignon for main course, and the meat was tender and nicely cooked (medium-rare). I wished the meat could be a little juicier but it was still not bad. Personally I think 10oz for filet mignon is enough to taste the meat and not too much that actually makes you sick.

The desserts were really good too. Both the home-made creamy puff and tiramisu were rich and delicious. If you don’t like creamy and richness dessert, they are probably not for you. But we really enjoyed the rich sweetness.

Sitting on the second-floor there were also live piano / singing performance, which really added to the entertainment value!

Nougatine [Yelp] [my Album] ＊＊＊＊＊

Table Decor @ Nougatine

We went there for the 2010 NYC Summer Restaurant Week. They have $26 3-course prix fixe menu year-round; however, the $24.07 RW lunch still sounded pretty tempting.

The food was terrific! We especially loved the tuna tartare and the chicken main dish. In addition to the restaurant week menu, we also ordered foie gras brulee appetizer, and…IT WAS D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S! We absolutely loved it!

The location of the restaurant is great (Columbus Circle / Upper West Side, you know what I meant) and when it’s sunny, the natural light really enhances the ambiance during day-time.

Park Avenue – Summer [Yelp] ＊＊＊＊

Dining Tables @ Park Avenue – Summer

We went there for the BlackBoardEats 5-course dinner special. The restaurant was pretty quiet at first when there weren’t too many people, but then it got energetic really quickly as people filled the space.

1. Strawberry & Cherry Tomato: Very interesting combination. The mix of sweetness and sourness of balsamic vinaigrette was nicely done.
2. Grilled Prawn: We liked this dish a lot. The prawn was huge and was seasoned well.
3. Gnocchi with Truffles & Fresh Corn: It’s a little salty for us at first, but produced very nice balance when mixed with gnocchi and sweet corn.
4. Grilled Filet Mignon with Blueberry Sauce: My medium-rare was cooked to order, and the blueberry sauce was definitely a nice touch.
5. Sweet Corn & Rhubarb Sundae: Very generous portion! The mix of vanilla ice cream and caramel sesame sauce was great. Not sure what were the foam on the top of the ice cream, but it blended really well with the ice cream and caramel.

The food was very nice, and the service was great. Overall a very nice 5-course dinner, and we were absolutely full at the end.

Seasonal [Yelp] [my Album] ＊＊＊＊

Bar @ Seasonal

We went there for the 3-course prix fixe lunch for $27.

The portion size was just about right (a little on the smaller side). With bread and some drinks, it made a pretty decent meal.

The restaurant was surprisingly not too crowded for Saturday lunch, so we had a very chilled and relaxing time there. Overall it was a very nice experience, and I definitely recommend it.

Daniel [Yelp] [my Album] ＊＊＊＊＊

Main Entrance of Daniel

May be a 4.5 stars…

Don’t think my review matters in the mist of other 250+ (and growing) reviews on Yelp, but since I already wrote the review for OpenTable, why not just copy & paste :D

First of all, you really have to make reservation a month ahead of time. PERIOD.

We had the 3-course dinner with cocktails. The Rose Royal cocktail was very very nice. Both the scallop and duck terrine (foi gras) appetizers were to die for (personally I love mango, so the mango sides that came with the foi gras just fit my appetite perfectly).

I had the duo of beef for $16 supplement. The wagyu beef is just tender and cooked to perfection (@ medium-rare). The duo of squab is also very very good, especially the breast meat, so tender and juicy (with oil, yum!).

The desserts were very nice too, and the mini Madeleine (cake) that came after the dessert(s) were delicious.

The petite fours were less impressive compared to the main dishes. We’ve had better ones elsewhere.